Maria Montessori Developmental Periods - or how to get your kids to do the cleaning

On the 15th of March 2014 Casa held another information morning with the focus on the various developmental periods or what Maria Montessori calls ‘sensitive periods’ our children go through.

The theory goes that Maria Montessori recognized that children go through stages of intellectual interest and curiosity in which they become intrigued and absorbed by particular aspects of their environment. During a sensitive period, children can learn new things, master new skills, or develop aspects of their brain’s abilities painlessly and almost unconsciously. There is no need for punishment or reward because they (and all of us) are all driven by the same human tendencies to communicate, socialize, imitate, explore, move, be exact/precise, concentrate, repeat, maintain/discover order, achieve independence, realize perfection/control errors/improve ourselves, control ourselves (physically, intellectually and emotionally) and last but not least work. Well, needless to say that I was a bit sceptical . If children as little as 15 months want to help with daily tasks such as cleaning, tidying and hoovering why do most people around me (myself included) find it so difficult for our kids to tidy up without offering or refusing them a little something in return. Oh and the thought of buckets full of water in the hands of my little ladies did not particularly inspire me either to be honest. Having said that I did promise myself that I would at least give it a try. A day later, my four year old was crafting in the living room, the first opportunity offered itself. With plenty of little bits of paper lying around my usual response would have been to take out the hoover and get it all cleaned up. This time I however said to Sophia that she could take the hoover and tidy it all up herself if she’d like. I was expecting the usual ‘I don’t want to tidy up’ but she was besides herself. She could not
believe she was given permission to use this wonderous and exciting thing herself. She and her 2 ½ year old sister spent a whopping 30 minutes in blissful heaven and my floor has probably never been tidier.

Want to find out what your kids might just love doing for you? Watch the videos below.